Thieves War
by Nomi001
Summary: Please read Author's note within. This story is 'amoral' and written for sheer humor. Due to nature of issues; younger kids who might still be in their impressionable stage of moral-development should read only under strict parental guidance.
1. Author's Note

**Thieves War **

_By Jolly _

**Author's Note **

We all know that Fenton Hardy is a world class detective and his sons are turning out to be super-sleuths themselves. But I could not help but to wonder, what if Fenton Hardy is actually a world class thief? And his boys chose to follow in his footsteps?

I chose to try my hand in writing Fenton and his sons as thieves. Why? I guess because a thief is the anti-thesis of a detective. Isn't it said that it takes a crook to catch a crook? Ah, but Mr. Hardy is a Thief, which in his opinion, is in a totally different class to a common crook. What is the difference, one might ask? I guess one might just have to read to find out what the classy difference is.

Then this leads naturally to the question; what kind of life would the boys have? What kind of enemies would they meet?

And if one day another Super-Thief is to appear on scene, how would the Hardys defend their territory?

Thus began the Thieves War. And may Bayport and New York City survive the many battles to come.

This story is inspired by … well you guess it: Ocean's 11, 12 and 13.

* * *


	2. Prelude

**Thieves War **

_By Jolly _

**There is Honor Amongst Thieves **

Every Country has its laws and every Society has its norms. Likewise every Profession has its own Code. There is honor amongst thieves. Remember, thou may challenge, but thou may not backstab a fellow Thief. Break this code and dishonor your entire lineage. Thou shalt be forever banished from the Profession …

- Excerpts from **Guide to Social Interactions amongst Thieves**

The more complex the security systems evolved into, the more complex our efforts must be. The more they seek to close us out, the better we must become at learning to break in. Each new level of security that they come up with will become a stepping stone for us to surpass their efforts. Our assault will always be based on their best defenses. In a sense, this is a war which we could never truly win. But more importantly, it is a war which they dare not lose…

- Excerpts from _Evolution of Thieves' Challenge_, **International Journal of The Profession **


	3. Child's Play

**Thieves War **

_By Jolly _

**Child's Play**

Six year old Frank Hardy stepped quietly into the kitchen through the back door. He could see his mother busy at the stove, her back turned away from him. He let out a toothy grin. Opportunity beckons! Slowly but stealthily, he made his way past the dining table to the little marble table protruding out from the oven. On top of that marble table top was the target. A huge platter of freshly baked chewy chocolate chips cookies! Joe's gonna be so proud of him!

Unfortunately, that table top was too high for his six-year old frame. Darned! Frank frowned and looked around the kitchen. Not the dining chair. Far too heavy. If he tried to drag it across the floor, it would make some nasty noise and alert his mom. He chewed his lips and desperately searched for something else he could use. Those cookies were just so near and so far! Then he spied on the Yellow Pages phone books laid carelessly under the dining table. He smiled. They must have arrived today.

Slowly and quietly, he moved the books to the marble table and piled them one on top of the other. He stood on them and viola! The cookies were within reach! He poked his head above the table and saw that his mom was still stirring the pot on the stove and humming a happy tune. Slowly he reached his hand towards the platter and grabbed two huge cookies from the corner.

'A Thief is not greedy, he took only to prove that it could be done and then only took what is needed,' Frank reminded himself, and threw the remaining cookies a longing look.

Then he rearranged them a little so the missing cookies would not be too obvious.

'A Thief must take pride in his work, he must not leave behind obvious trails.' Frank continued to quote his father, his hero.

He then slowly use his feet to move the phone books back to its original position under the table. With a last glance to make sure that his mom did not notice what happened, he happily left the kitchen, the precious cookies firmly held in both chubby hands. Mission successful and Joe would be so proud of him, he thought as he raced over to share his booty with his younger brother in their tree-house in the backyard.

Back in the kitchen, Laura Hardy followed the movements of the little boy all the way until he left the kitchen by the back door. She shook her head and chuckled. Boys!

* * *

**please review! **


	4. Teen's Training

**To answer that question, yes, the boys would be meeting Ocean ... in the chapters Summer in Vegas - I love Ocean's 11, 12 and 13!**

* * *

**  
**

**Thieves War **

_By Jolly _

**Teen's Training**

BRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!

Joe Hardy groaned and snuggled deeper into his covers in hopes of drowning out that unholy noise. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and he was instantly awake.

It was his birthday today! He remembered. And not just any birthday! Today was his thirteenth birthday! He had been waiting forever for this day, for today marked a new chapter in his life. From today onwards, he was no longer a child. From today onwards, he was a teenager.

A teenager!

That meant that he would no longer be barred from _The Room_. He could now join his big brother in _The Room_, officially and professionally learning the tricks of trade from their dad. And today, he would receive his very own Profession's Official Lock-pick Kit – at breakfast. His dad promised.

How exciting!

He threw off his cover and leapt out of bed. In his eagerness, he slipped. He threw out his arms and fought a desperate battle to regain his balance. For an instant, perched precariously on his right toes, he thought he might have succeeded. He was slowing bringing his other foot down when to his consternation, he felt his right foot sliding forward. Strange, he thought, he did not ever remember his bedroom floor being that slippery. A fraction of a second later, his arms were swinging wildly in the air again, and next he knew, he was on his back on the floor starring up at his bedroom ceiling. A moment later, the pain registered.

He groaned.

What a start to his first day as a teen! Joe grouched. Luckily Frank was not here to witness his ignominious awakening as a teenager, he thought.

Joe pushed himself up from the parquet floor and walked over to bathroom he shared with his brother. He reached for the door knob and started to turn it. His eyes narrowed. It occurred to him that the knob seemed just a teeny wee bit harder to turn. It could be just a matter of oiling, but, something started to click at the back of his mind.

He gave the door a quick push and jumped back away from it. Sure enough, a bag of flour landed on the bathroom tiles just before him. Soon, the room became misty white with floating flour. Joe quickly reached for the door and slammed it shut to minimize flour-damage to his own room.

"Frank!" Joe muttered under his breath.

He bet his brother oiled his bedroom floor too, that was why he slipped earlier one. Joe turned to storm out of his bedroom, fully prepared to have it out with Frank. Next he knew he felt something soft, cool, and squishy between his right toes. He took a deep breath, slowly counted from one to ten, and then looked down. He stepped into a small pool of … goo. Whatever that was, it was slimy and gooey. Goo. Yucks! He reached out with his hand, grabbed a towel, and gave his foot a quick wipe. Then with an expert flick of his wrist, he threw that soiled towel into his little laundry basket located at the other end of his room.

"OK big bro, wait till your birthday!" Joe growled.

He reached for his door knob when he felt the hair on the back f his neck stiffened. He dropped his hands and stared suspiciously at his door. And when he opened his bedroom door, he also hid behind the safety afforded by that sturdy block of wood. Sure enough, two blobs of paint splatters appeared on his glass window.

Joe heaved a sigh of relief. He just survived another trap. But he's starting to get a real bad feeling about his coming of age birthday…

Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and slowly peeked around from the safety of his bedroom door. It seemed to him that the coast was clear. He slowly stepped around his door and into the corridor.

That was no simple or flippant decision that he made. He may be only thirteen today, but he had spent years learning to notice and remember little details about his surroundings. His father had drilled that lesson into him and Frank ever since the day his big brother made that ill-fated attempt to pilfer two cookies from the kitchen whilst mom was cooking. He smiled at the memory of that evening, when his dad sat them down and showed them a recording of the Great Cookie Robbery. Frank failed to spot the little hidden video camera recording his every move! Joe remembered how proud he was of his brother when dad praised Frank for his initiative using the phone books and for rearranging those cookies to disguise the fact of two missing cookies.

He recalled one of his dad's many lectures:

**A Thief must always be cognizant of his surroundings; he must know the instant something was out of place. He must have good peripheral vision, so that he knew what was happening around him even if he was not looking directly at the action. The slightest failure at it was the key reason why many a Thief fell and brought disgrace to The Profession.**

Joe's stomach rumbled. He's definitely getting hungry.

Slowly, he made his way down the corridor, keeping a sharp eye for anything new or different along the way. This was his home and darn if he did not know every single inch of it like the back of his hand! He had to pass Frank's door to get to the stairs. The stairs would lead straight into the kitchen where the food was. Where his breakfast was, he amended. And today, that one minute journey felt very long indeed.

Because… there's something on the floor, and there's something perched precariously from the hanging lights just above his head, and there's two almost invisible piece of string strung across the corridor…

He cleared them all! Joe thought, proud of his achievement. He'll definitely tell Frank what he think of big bro's coming of age present later. Now all he wanted was to eat.

He took his next step down the stairs. He could feel something right under his heel. It was a tripwire! His mind registered. Swiftly, he scanned his surroundings with panicky eyes.

He held his breath. Nothing happened. Slowly, he let out his breath. Still, nothing happened.

Joe lifted his foot and went down one more step. Next he knew, he saw this flash of white coming at him. Darn! That trap must have been rigged to go off when the pressure's off! His quick reflects saved him from whatever that white mass was. He leapt to his left and towards the wall, only to feel water poured over him.

That flying whiteness was a decoy! He realized just a fraction too late.

And there was a slightly greasy feel about that water too! To ensure that he won't slip down the stairs, he reached over to grab on to the railing, only to realize that there was something really sticky now on his palms. It was honey.

Joe cursed using words he shouldn't know, but he heard it from his dad and mom when they thought he and Frank wasn't listening. Too late he recalled another of his dad's lectures:

**Do not compound your initial mistake by adding on a second by reacting instead of acting.**

Joe sighed and gritted his teeth. He still needed his breakfast, and he wanted his Professional Lock-pick Kit. After scanning his environment, he continued his fateful journey down the stairs, making sure he was now twice as alert.

Alas, he walked into the next trap, and was now flour-coated.

For a moment, he was stumped as to what happened. Then he spotted it. Darn, that last trap was triggered by an infra-red detector.

That was also the moment when Joe realized that Frank could not possibly have done it, or, he could not possibly have done it alone. There was high tech gadgets involved, so dad must be in it somehow. And an old lecture chose that moment to surface in his mind:

**Be alert to possibilities of sudden changes in the security's MO (Modus Operandi), for that was how many a Thief fell also. They were caught by surprise because they were not adaptable to change.**

It was a long while later before Joe reached the kitchen. He was extra, extra cautious after that. And to some extend, it paid off. He spotted eight more traps after that. All of them were high tech in nature.

It gotta be dad! Joe now acknowledged.

Finally, totally tensed and wet and white, he reached the dining table. There, Frank, mom and dad sat, just finishing up their breakfast. From his big brother's rather rigid stance, Joe realized Frank had nothing to do with what he just went through. That was good. He would hate to find out that his brother was the one who tortured him on this important birthday! Then, it hit him, when his big brother threw him a sympathetic smile. Frank must have gone through the something similar on his own thirteenth birthday! So he turned to face his dad, a mutinous and accusing expression on his face.

"Ah, that was very well done, Joe!" Laura commented, the pride clear in her voice. "You spotted and cleared fourteen out of twenty. Very, very good, son! I'm so proud of you!"

Joe turned to his mom, his mouth wide opened. His mom set those traps?!

Laura smiled and handed him a plate of pancakes, "caught you out several times, didn't I?"

Joe stared numbly at his pancakes. _Mom?!_

"Welcome to The Profession, son," Fenton said with a smile as he handed Joe a huge and nicely wrapped package. "As you realize, your training already started…"

Joe paled and looked downright horrified. Frank laughed out loud.

_OMG! Does that mean that he's not gonna have anymore peaceful awakening from today onwards??_

* * *

**please review! **


	5. Fenton's Challenge

**The next chapter. So sorry this took a while. Thieves was was designed such that every chapter is a story in itself so that one don't have to worry about continuity while enjoying the individual chapters. There is also a larger storyline that would eventually become apparent when one strings all the stories together... There would be alternating series of humorous or somewhat serious chapters to advance the main storyline over time.**

**Finally, one of the reason for the delay of this story is, well, there were some issues I had to work out after getting some interesting pms. I understand a mother's concern that making a Thief sounds 'cool' might have a 'negative effect' on 'impressionable kids'. So, I would like to state here once and for all time:**

I DO NOT ADVOCATE THEFT. STEALING IS WRONG. IT IS A CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.

**ps: if there is any country that think otherwise - I really would love to know!**

**All Right! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!**

**ps: Next bit is Summer in Vegas - and yup the boys get to meet dear Ocean. And yes, the hoys' girlfriends? - Story: Stealing Dates. Boys at school? - Story: Class Test. As for making Laura the mastermind... well, a true mastermind rarely show his or her hand until the very end, sometimes not at all. I think I answered all questions. **

* * *

**Thieves War **

_By Jolly _

**Fenton's Challenge**

Many years ago, a young man sat alone in the quietest corner of an almost empty library trying to read from a text that was so old, part of its texts was blurred and there were pages missing. It was an old school building very much in need of an upgrade that every one knew it was not going to get. It was a poor public school located in the poorer end of New York City. It was also a mediocre school because of the sheer effort and determination that was poured into the school by a handful of dedicated and selfless teachers.

The young man was fully aware of all those facts. That was why he was still there, despite the fact that his father could easily afford to send him to one of the few exclusive private schools in the city. And he knew he was smart enough to make it to one of the Ivy League Colleges on his own later. And he would – after he did what he had to do for this particular school.

His father was one of the leading members of the highly exclusive and secretive organization known as the Thieves Guild. Yes, Thieves – highly professional, highly honorable… Thieves. They all led exciting double lives, had a career in respectable professions, and they met in secret to boast about who executed the most daring and most skillful Thievery. And later, they either return the loot in some innovative way, or, if they stole from another crook, they used the proceeds to help the poor and the weak. And that was the very important distinction between a Guild Thief, and a common crook. Or so Fenton's father always stressed to him.

Now, at seventeen going eighteen, he was just a short time away from having to prove his worthiness to take his place amongst his Peers and fellow Honorable Thieves. And this school was his membership Challenge. He had ascertained that this school and that handful of dedicated teachers were deserving of a windfall, financed by a robbery that was about to take place.

The young man in question was Fenton Hardy. He was tall, just a little over six feet, and had a lean yet athletic build. He could be considered good looking, with his dark wavy hair and piercing hazel eyes that was perpetually hidden behind a pair of most unseemly and ugly glasses. Many of the young impressionable teenage girls looked at him and sighed: Yes, Fenton was good looking and had what they considered a 'hot bod' during the few occasions when they saw his physique during physical education. Too bad he was too intelligent and too geeky. None of them wanted to be seen with a nerd – that was just too 'uncool'. And that was the way Fenton wanted it to be, especially since none of those shallow and materialistic girls interest him in any way.

Alas, things happened, and shit happened. And when shit happened, it poured. And the poor young man was left cursing and spluttering, wondering why couldn't he be one of those ordinary young teens whose next worry was what to wear and who to date?

First, there was the arrival of a new Thief in town. Now, that was bad, because that Thief was encroaching on his territory. And if he did not find out who that person was, and oust him or her soon, that would reflect very badly on his family honor. It would even affect his bid for lifetime membership into that most exclusive Guild.

Then, there was the arrival of this new girl at school: Laura Allvalach. She was beautiful, smart, sassy, and sexy… Fenton sighed as he conjured up her image in his mind yet again. Shoulder length silky blonde hair, a heart shaped face, a most winsome smile, and a pair of vivid blue eyes and shone with an inner almost mischievous light. Unlike all other girls he knew, this one knew her classics and mathematics. She played basketball and was a valued member of the track team. He was attracted to her, and his growing teenage hormones went nuts whenever she was near. He walked into a pillar, tripped and spilled his lunch, and was caught daydreaming in class. So now, every one knew that the resident hopeless geeky nerd was in love with the new and most popular girl in school.

And she dated the current captain of the school's football team – that was the direct cause of his next problem. Matt Granger had decided that he did not like competition, not even from a supposedly 'hopeless nerd' and decided to make an example of him. Fenton had to gnash his teeth and pour a huge amount of his energy into not acting rashly and showing that bully a thing or two about being a real man – like thrashing him soundly and letting the whole school know that he was a Karate and Wing Chun expert.

Add the fact that the finals were round the corner…

"No wonder Dad says life was crazy at seventeen!" Fenton sighed. "And if one survived his seventeenth year with his sanity intact, he's made for life…"

The clock struck five and the librarian announced that the library's closed. So Fenton left and turned his attention to his most pressing problem – defending his territory. He had worked out the MO of that new Thief, and tonight, he would get him or her. Actually, he was certain it was a 'her'. After all, as a male, he was sure that no other male would call themselves the 'Speeding Kitty'.

That night, he took one of his Dad's sport cars, and set it up to be stolen. Meanwhile, he waited in the well-designed hidden compartment, and waited. Sure enough, the 'Speeding Kitty' struck just before midnight. Fenton smiled – he could not wait to confront her. He slowly extricated himself from the hidden compartment, saw this 'Thief' and…

_Laura?!_ His mouth popped open in shock, but at the same time, he felt a warm flush rush through his body and up to his face.

"Fenton? What the heck are you doing in MY car?" Laura yelled at him.

"Your car?" Fenton repeated a little stupidly and again cursed his stupid raging teenage male hormones.

Then, both their attention were diverted by the sound of sirens.

_Police!_ Fenton thought and almost panicked. _Shit! What else could go wrong? Why were they chasing his Dad's car when he made sure the alarm was disconnected? Damn!_

He could hear Laura cursing as she threw the car into overdrive, floored the gas pedal, and sped off, with six or seven police cars chasing after them.

Fenton could already imagine his Dad coming down to bail him out at the local police station and cringed at that image. He would have to work out a plausible story why he was in a car with a car-thief… No! That would also mean the end of his dream for the Guild membership! He forced himself to calm down and reassess the situation he was in.

At least Laura could drive, he admitted with grudging respect as she executed yet another graceful turn at breakneck speed that cause two police cars to swerve off the road.

"Two down and four to go!" He could hear her muttering in glee even though her face was screwed up from concentrating on the high-stake race she was currently engaged in. And she still looked beautiful to him. Okay, Fenton admitted he had it bad.

Suddenly he realized why the police were chasing them. "You stole something else and this is your getaway car!" he accused. "All those other car thefts were practice runs!"

"Very good, Fenton!" Laura answered, throwing him another cheeky grin as she executed yet another sharp turn, and throwing him hard against the door.

"What the heck did you steal?" he asked, even though a part of him was already denying that answer.

"The Weisman ruby collection," Laura answered. "I love rubies."

Fenton would have cried if he could. The current owner of the Weisman rubies had stolen it from the original Jewish owner right after the Nazi occupation. And the Jewish descendents had promised a handsome reward for anyone who could retrieve it. There goes his target for his Guild membership Challenge and the windfall for the school…

"How could you!" He hissed, both in anger and in desperation. Now he had to start all over. With both the exams and his eighteenth birthday just round the corner, where was he going to find time to conduct all the necessary research to complete his Challenge?

Then he noted to his horror, that Laura's about to drive herself into a dead-end. Lord! If he and Laura got caught tonight, he won't even have to worry about failing his Challenge! The cops would never believe that Laura napped him – more likely they would pin the robbery on him the male and let Laura the female go. Drats! Damn! Shit!

No wonder Dad insisted Helen was the downfall of Troy and not that Trojan Horse!

"Turn right, turn right now, or we're going to get caught at a dead end!" he yelled at Laura, and was grateful she took his advice instantaneously.

"Then the next left!" Fenton continued as he automatically charted an escape route on the spot. "Turn into the tunnel and turn off the lights… there's a hidden alleyway just after that and this car could just scrape through. Just don't leave any scratch mark along the walls to give us away, and we'll be fine…"

He ignored the curious glance that Laura shot at him, and was happy to note she was as skilled a driver as he made her out to be. She slowed and executed that 90 degree turn flawlessly and silently and the police cars sped by without even realizing they were now chasing a non-existent target.

Soon, they arrived safe and sound at Laura's drop-off point, and he stood silently by as Laura had his Dad's car loaded onto a waiting truck and got some cash in return. He wasn't concern about the car – his Dad's insurance would cover it.

"Here!" Laura threw the stack of cash at him, which he caught deftly, and just as quickly return to her.

"I rather have the Weisman rubies," he told her. "And you owed me, since you stole and sold my car."

Laura's eyes sparkled. "Oh? And why were these rubies so important to you?" She asked. "And don't bother denying – it's all there in your body language – minus the fact that you've the hots for me, of course."

Fenton cursed. His face turned red as he tried to get his traitorous body to behave. But the way she talked and looked at him only served to inflame his passions further.

"Hmmm… you planned to catch me, didn't you? That's why that car was parked there the last few nights… but things are not so simple… you showed a remarkable knowledge of all the little alleyways for a nerd at school. Not to mention a very, very deep interest in those rubies…"

Fenton shivered as Laura ran her finger over his chest. He had never allowed any other female that close… until today. Actually, it was Laura that helped herself to him. And a part of him, for some strange reason, was drawn to that.

"Really?" he just managed to ask in a nonchalant tone, as his fingers reached out for her silky hair. Two could play the game… not that he had much practice there, but, his fingers had been itching to touch those strands for a long time, and he decided he might as well let his traitorous hormones lead him. After all, they got him here in the first place. He let his other arm slid around her waist and drew her close, and let himself enjoy the feel of her curvaceous body against him and breathe in that sweet womanly scent.

Laura laughed softly. She tilted her head at him as she reconsidered everything, before leaning in close and whispering huskily into his ear. "There could be only one reason… The Guild… And you're turning eighteen soon, aren't you?"

She shook her head at the deadpanned expression on Fenton's face. "Tsk, tsk. I see you're desperate. But since you did save me today, I'll give you a chance. Win this challenge, and I'll give you the rubies."

"What challenge?" Fenton asked even as the beauty in his arm took the opportunity at his distraction to twirl away from his less than romantic grasp.

"Steal a kiss, Fenton boy, and I'll hand over the rubies. Just steal a kiss from me – if you can! By Prom Night…"

And Fenton watched as Laura sashayed her way into the shadows that night. Steal a kiss? That's all?

"And how would I know if you'll give me the rubies if I win?" he yelled after her disappearing form and could not help the smile that tugged the corner of his lips as the answer came floating back through the night breeze.

"Because a Thief will always honor her word… and do get some breath mints before making any attempts…"

The next few days were a frustrating lot for young Mr. Fenton Hardy. He discovered too late, that stealing a kiss was very different from stealing rubies… or stealing a Siamese cat. Laura, being the most popular girl in school, was almost always surrounded by friends or with her boyfriend – he never understood what Laura saw in that bully. And the very few moments where he managed to corner her alone, she somehow managed to slip away – and he ended up kissing a book, a newspaper, choked on a chocolate, and finally, kissed that big chubby ugly friend of hers.

By the end of the week, he was growling in sheer frustration, driven to the edge by his own hormones, as well as his continued failure. That was about as much as his battered ego could take. So, on Sunday night, he decided to execute a daring feat: Break into her house and just take the kiss.

He leapt nimbly over the fence, and climbed up the pipe and onto the second storey window ledge. There she was, asleep and buried under her blankets. Slowly, he pried open the window, and crawled into the room, careful not to make any noise. He tip-toed over to the bed, then, in a swift movement jerked off the blanket and bent down for his stolen kiss, only to find a pair of furious brown eyes glaring up at him.

"What the fk do you think you are doing, you fag…"

_Shit!_ Fenton thought as he backed hastily away and raced for the window, sliding down the pipe so quickly the friction burned his arms and legs. _What the heck was Laura's big brother doing in her bed? Wasn't he supposed to be in the army? _Fenton cursed as he ran. He could hear angry voices behind him, and felt the lights came on room by room. Then to his consternation, he heard the dogs… _and were those… were those… Alsatians?_

Fenton ran for his dear life…

The next day, Laura cornered him in his favorite corner in the library. He was just too hurt – both physically and egoistically to try stealing any kisses. Especially not with Matt's pals watching them. He got bitten, torn his favorite pair of Levi jeans, fell into a nettle bush and was now covered with rashes.

"Big brother came back for a short vacation before starting his next tour of duty," she whispered to him with barely suppressed humor. "So I let big brother have my room while I camp over with Aunt Melody in a sleeping bag. Wasn't I lucky? I think you're going to lose, Fenton," she taunted.

Fenton glared at her as she walked away laughing. No way was he going to lose to that… that… pretty face party girl! He vowed even as he was starting to feel the start of a grudging respect for her wiliness.

Then he realized his problem. So far, she had been taunting him daily, and he had been led by his hormones, when he should be thinking and using his brains. And now, in his favorite corner in the library, he finally knew how he could get that stolen kiss. He started to laugh quietly – almost evilly. He's going to win that challenge after all, and Laura would never see it coming.

Two weeks later, the old school was buzzing with excitement. It was the night when the school was staging the Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet, starring Matt Granger and Laura Allvalach. It was part of the school's annual fund raising efforts to purchase the necessary textbooks for the next year's classes.

And Fenton had his plan all set. At the end of middle of Act V, poor unsuspecting Matt Granger suddenly develop a bad case of stomach pain, leaving him, the geeky understudy to take over the role of love-struck Romeo.

He would forever remember that shocked expression on Laura's face when he appeared before her at that scene at the tomb where Romeo was to poison himself and join his love in the ever after.

"… the yoke of inauspicious stars / From this world-wearied flesh." Fenton as Romeo spoke those famous last words, and leaned down towards his Juliet to take his fateful kiss while Laura watched helplessly from beneath her eyelashes.

"Gotcha," he whispered before standing up and drinking his poison before dying a dramatic stage death, letting his arm drape loosely over her bosom. How he loved Shakespeare and its cultured language! And what lovely warm soft bosom!

And Fenton could not resist but add cheekily in a soft voice as he 'died' with his mouth right next to Laura's ears. "And Juliet darling, I am stealing two kisses, not one."

He could barely smother his very satisfied grin as Laura went through her final lines, and leaned down to kiss Romeo's supposedly poisoned lips in a failed attempt to kill herself before finally resorting to the knife.

"Okay, you win," Fenton heard Laura's reluctant admission as she dies over him.

"And the rubies?"

"Will be yours by Prom Night…"

Fenton almost purred with satisfaction. He passed his exams, got his rubies, completed his Challenge, got his kisses, and has a most beautiful woman lying atop him – what more could any man asked for?

Fenton took his bows with the casts before a mildly excited audience before retreating backstage… only to come face to face with a really furious Matt Granger.

"How dare you kiss my gal!" he hissed before shoving Fenton into a pile of boxes.

Fenton had enough. He stood up and took off his Romeo costume gloves and threw it at Matt's face. No one could miss the meaning of his statement. Matt charged and Fenton easily side-stepped and tripped his opponent, then jammed his right arm forcefully into the unsuspecting football captain's solar plexus. Matt went down like a ton of bricks, much to the shock of his team mates and friends.

_Good riddance_, Fenton thought as he returned his attention to his Juliet, and executed a courtly stage bow. "Juliet, dearest Juliet, thy beauty makes this vault a feasting presence full of light. Please be my date for the upcoming Prom Night?"

At that moment, the world narrowed down to just the two of them as Fenton waited with bated breath and a pounding heart for Laura's answer. After what seemed forever, at least to him, Laura finally said 'yes' amidst the cheers from the rest of the cast. He lifted her into his arms, just to make sure she could not run away, and gave her another kiss – a proper one this time, not a stolen one. It was a long while later before he let Laura go again, setting her down lightly on her feet.

"Pick you up at seven?" he asked softly. After she nodded, he turned and left. There was a musical rhythm to his steps as he marched jauntily away – very much a Romeo in love.

"Ah, my Romeo, how does one steal something that was given to them willingly?" Laura asked quietly as she watched Fenton Hardy walked away. Slowly her lips curled into a satisfied smile – she got her man, hook, line and sinker.

* * *

**please review! **


End file.
